Caretaker CM wants level playing field for all parties

Fazlur Rehman expresses concern over rising street crime in city

KARACHI: Taking notice of concerns shared by different political parties about political victimisation in the electoral process, Caretaker Chief Minister Fazlur Rehman directed the bureaucracy on Thursday to ensure a level playing field to all political parties in the upcoming elections.

"Everyone has to work within legal framework," the CM said, while chairing a meeting at CM House, which was held after some leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) complained that the government machinery was being used by the Pakistan Peoples Party to rig the elections and victimise opponents in different districts.

Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, IG Allah Dino Khowaja and secretaries of different departments attended the meeting. The CM directed the top civil servants to establish good governance by following the rules and regulations in the disposal of their official work.

Talking to IG Khowaja, Rehman said there were reports of growing street crime in the city. The IG assured the CM that street crime would be controlled with irons hands. "We have rearranged police deployment and enhanced patrolling at all important points and areas," the police chief informed the CM.



Planning and Development Board Chairperson Mohammad Waseem briefed the CM about K-IV and other water supply projects for Karachi. He said the city was receiving 650 million gallons of water per day at present and there were some areas in districts West, Malir, South and East, particularly of katchi abadies, where water shortage persisted. He explained that the district administration was providing water through tankers to areas that were experiencing water shortage.

Irrigation Secretary Jamal Shah briefed the CM about water flows in the Indus River. The distribution of water has improved, he claimed, adding that against an allocated share of 106,300 cusecs, Sindh was receiving 35260 cusecs which was also decreasing as it received 37073 cusecs on Wednesday. The CM directed the irrigation department to further focus on the proper distribution of water, particularly to the tail-end areas. "The growers are staging protests, this is not good. We cannot deprive any person of his water share," Rehman said.



Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon said he was monitoring riverine water distribution to the tail-end areas and distribution of tankers in Karachi. He informed the meeting that he was planning to plant more trees in the city through the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. "Plantation of more trees in the city and its outskirts would bring back the rains in the city," he said.